The Computer Science and Telecommunications Board will examine intellectual property issues associated with the emerging information infrastructure. The study will explore: (1) the nature, evolution, and use of the Internet, federal networks, and other interconnected networks; (2) trends in the generation, distribution, and protection of content that can be accessed via networks; and (3) technological capabilities for protecting databases and other copyrightable materials. The objective will be to develop recommendations for reconciling technical capabilities with the legal issues raised in protecting intellectual property and to find ways of balancing the interests of publishers with those of the research, education, library, and federal networking communities.